Published Wednesday, May 15, 2024 | 12:14 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, May 15, 2024 | 2:42 p.m.
The Mirage, the decades-old staple beloved for its outdoor volcano show, the Beatles “LOVE” by Cirque Du Soleil and other attractions, will temporarily close its doors July 17 to transition into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas, officials said today.
“While we pause for the incredible transformation of this iconic property, I’d like to thank all team members at the Mirage for their incredible commitment and helping us provide memorable experiences for our guests,” said Joe Lupo, president of the Mirage in a statement.
The rebranded Hard Rock resort is slated to feature a nearly 700-foot guitar-shaped hotel tower, and double the current number of jobs at the property, per the release. They are targeting a spring 2027 opening.
The renovation will generate over 2,500 construction jobs alone, the release added, and Hard Rock will pay approximately $80 million in severance packages for eligible union and non-union employees remaining with the property through the pause in operations.
“We are planning to host collaborative hiring events with other employers in the Las Vegas community over the coming months,” Lupo said. "Connecting the thousands of talented Mirage team members who provide outstanding service with new employment opportunities is a top priority.”
Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, purchased the Mirage property from MGM Resorts International in 2022, as part of a more than $1 billion cash transaction.
Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, has previously told the Nevada Gaming Control Board that the operator would “completely gut the casino,” expanding its convention and ballroom space and increasing its slot machines, table games and number of hotel rooms.
Guests with room or show reservations at the Mirage beyond July 14 will be automatically refunded, Wednesday’s release said.
“We’d like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage,” Allen said in a statement Wednesday. “We’d also like to thank the Unions, community leaders, local and state government organizations and the Gaming Commission for their support and fair negotiations over the past year. Also, we are grateful to MGM for assisting with our transition.”
According to the Mirage's website, its longtime tenant Cirque Du Soleil show will close July 6, and other resident shows — like Shin Lim: LIMITLESS and Center Stage comedy — will close July 14.
Hard Rock Las Vegas is expected to employ close to 7,000 team members, according to the website.
Representatives from Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that union workers at the Mirage are protected — even as the property essentially shuts down for three years — due to “redevelopment and closure language” the bargaining unit won with the resort last year.
Workers can opt for a bonus of $2,000 per year of service and six months of pension and health benefits, or a lesser, unspecified amount, maintenance of seniority rights and 36 months of recall rights, the union said.
The union will also host events at its headquarters for Mirage workers to connect them with unemployment, job fairs, benefits and more.
“Culinary Union contracts include strong language on layoff, recall, seniority, training, and placement so that unionized workers who choose to retain their recall rights and are recalled within 36-months of layoff will have access to free job training and seniority right of first-access to available job openings when the property reopens, and placement into other job opportunities as they are available,” the release said.
